VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: It's a pleasure to be here tonight and to
congratulate President Yushchenko on his election and inauguration as
the leader of the proud sovereign nation of the Ukraine.

The world has been inspired by the remarkable images emanating from
Ukraine in recent months. We have watched as Ukrainians by the
hundreds of thousands converged on Kiev's Independence Square to
preserve their freedom and safeguard their right to determine the
destiny of their nation.

Fifteen years after the democratic revolutions that swept Central
and Eastern Europe, liberty continues its steady advance in this vital
area of the world. With their courage, dedication and peaceful
determination, the Ukrainian people have shown a watching world the
unstoppable power of the popular will.

What President Yushchenko has accomplished is remarkable and
inspiring and there are great tasks ahead. Free nations stood with him
as he made his just demands that the voice of the people be heard. The
free world will stand with him once again as he works to consolidate
Ukraine's democratic gains and adds to the prosperity and justice of
his country.

As President Yushchenko assumes his responsibilities, he and the
people he serves can know this: the United States supports the
sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and we support Ukraine's
aspirations to join the institutions that bind the free nations of the
West.

President Yushchenko is an ally in freedom's cause, and President
Bush and the American people stand with him.

We look forward to working with President Yushchenko to strengthen
a democratic Ukraine to enhance security, preserve peace, and build a
better world.

Once again, Mr. President, my congratulations.

PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO: Dear Mr. Vice President, ladies and
gentlemen, dear guests. The United States as well as Russia, as well
as the European Union, and as well as Poland - belong to the strategic
partners of Ukraine.

We built on an assumption that in many respects our national
interests coincide. And I would suspect that, with respect to the
previous policy of the previous power, our allies had a lot of
frustrations. Very frequently the inconsistency in our policies made
our bilateral and multilateral relations ineffective.

And today I am proud to state that the Ukrainian party is
responsible for all the commitments that we have before our allies and
partners. We want to pursue the processes of liberalization and
democratization in all aspects of public life that are so badly needed
for Ukraine and other Eastern European countries - shoulder to shoulder
with our partners.

In my discussion with Mr. Vice President, I have repeatedly
highlighted that, after the Orange Revolution, the country and the
nation have changed. Not only do we have an independent country, we
have a free country - a country capable of pursuing new, independent,
and responsible policy.

We have discussed a number of issues that refer to our bilateral
relations, both in economic and political aspects. I was pleased to
invite Mr. Vice President to visit Ukraine at his convenience, and we
hope that our bilateral relations will continue to remain constructive
and effective.